Window-shade fixture



(No Model.)

n-jsLlNe'LAm WIHDQW' SHADE FIXTURE.

Pa-tentd Apr;

a, PETERS. Fllclbiilhographen Wnshinginn o, c..

I PATENT rricn.

NICHOLAS SLINGLAND, OF FALLS VILLAGE, CONNECTICUT.

WINDOW-SHADE FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,473, dated April 8, 1884.

Application filed February 23, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Nrononns SLINGLAND,

of Falls Village, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in lVindow-Shade Fixtures; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon,

to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a sectional. front View; Fig. 2, a vertical section enlarged; Fig. 3, a transverse section of one jainb, enlarged; Figs. 4. and 5, modifications.

This invention relates to an improvement in window-shade fixtures, with special reference to railway-cars and like purposes where it is desirable to hold the lower end of the shade to prevent its flapping. A common method of thus holding the shade in railwaycars is to construct each jamb with a notched groove and extend the slat in the bottom of the shade into each of those grooves, and so as to run freein. the groove, except when thrown into engagement with one of the notches. The shade being arranged upon a spring-roller at the top draws the slat up against the notches, and so that, the shade being pulled down to engage with any given notch, the upward pull of the spring-roller will hold it in connection with that notch, and to release it therefrom the slat must be taken from the notches, and then it is free'to run up through the grooves. In this construction the slat is liable to be misplaced by those inexperienced with its use. The shade can only be held at certain predetermined points, and hence the notches must be made near together or the adjustment of the shade will not often meet the requirements of passengers.

.E a shoe, F, is set.

with friction sufficient to hold the slat against the upward tendency of the spring-roll, but yield for an easy up or down movement of the shade, and as more fully hereinafter described.

A represents one jamb, and B the other, of a common car-window frame. At the top the shade-roller O is arranged and provided with I say that any of the automatic cylindrical sh aderollers now in common use may be employed. In each of the jambs A B a vertical groove, E, is made. These grooves are straight, and their sides parallel. Into each of the grooves These shoes fit their grooves so as to move freely therein. Each of the shoes is constructed with a socket, G, into which the respective ends of the slat H will set, as seen in Fig. 2. At one or both ends a spring, I, is arranged to bear between theshoe and the slat, (here represented as in one socket only,) and a spiral spring to bear against the end of the slat. The shade is attached to the slat in the usual manner. The power of the spring I forcing the shoes against their respective janibs will produce sufficient friction to overcome the power of the spring in the shade-roller, and so as to hold the shade at any point of elevation. To raise the shade it is only necessary to apply the hand to the slat and lift slightly. The shoes move upward through their respective grooves, and the shade is rolled up by the spring-roller; or to draw it down, simply take hold of the lower edge of the shade, or pull down upon it, the shoes sliding down freely through their grooves.

The operation of adjusting the shade-that is,-pulling down or raising up-is so simple that the most inexperienced person will read ily understand the operation necessary to adjust the shade. The spring yields to any irregularities which may from time to time occur in the jambs, and the shade is easily adjusted to any point and held at that point.

Instead of the groove, as seen in Fig. 3, there may be a rib on the jaxnb, as seen in Fig. 4.. In that case the shoe will be grooved.

Instead of constructing the shoe rigid and applying a spring between it and the jarnb, the shoe itself may be made in the form of a half-elliptic spring, as seen in Fig. 5, the socket G to receive the end of the slat fitted upon its back. In this case the spring takes its bearing in the grooves at the ends, and is free between for the necessary spring movement.

I claim 1. The combination of vertical parallel guides on the jambs of a window-frame, a spring-roll arranged to automatically roll up the shade, a slat in the lower end of the shade, and a shoe arranged upon each of the guides on said jambs, the said slat extending from the shoe on one side to the shoe on the opposite side, and engaged with the respective shoes, the bearing of the said shoes upon the jambs made elastic, substantially as described.

slat, whereby a yielding pressure is produced upon said shoes against their respective jambs, substantially as described.

NICHOLAS SLINGLAND.

\Vitnesses:

A. G. RANDALL, DWIGHT E. DEAN. 

